Last Morning
by Limezz
Summary: He suspected it all along, but had ignored it. He thought he was crazy. And now he was probably going to die. AU; ZADR
1. Chapter 1

The day was sunny. A few beams of light shone in through the blinds in the classroom. Through cracks and crevices in them, to brighten the room as minimally as possible and keep the sun's heated rays out. A few teenagers waved at themselves in a vain attempt to cool down. Others took off articles of clothing such as jerseys or doubled shirts, and some went so far as to actually remove their shirt and hide in the back of the classroom. Not that the teacher was paying much attention, she was too busy being sprawled out on her desk, ranting at the children about the school's budget.

"...and those Goddamn cameras. Ha! If a kid wants to skip or some shit, who cares? It's their future!" and on she went. Her blonde hair clung to her face in sweaty clumps, and her mascara was running. Dib Membrane smirked as it ran into her lipstick. Why on earth would she wear make up that wasn't waterproof on such a hot day? It made no sense to him, especially since the air conditioning had been broken since last October.

The classroom didn't really have any choice but to listen to her ramblings until the end of the day. It was final period, the day almost over, the big hand creeping along to the eight. Almost there, eight minutes left, seven, six.

Dib wasn't watching the clock like every other student in the room. He was preoccupied with the papers in front of him. Homework. He was trying to get it all done before the end of the day so he wouldn't have to do much when he got home. He wanted to have some free time so he could go on IRC later with the Swollen Eyeballs and discuss the findings he had on some recent sightings of a monster at Lake Spooky. His pencil ran along the page swiftly as he scrambled to finish before the final bell. He only had a few math problems left to do, and he was positive that he could finish before class was over-

The bell rang loudly. Kids scrambled to pull back on clothing, others tore out of the classroom while the teacher waved them off apathetically, sighing when nearly everyone was gone. Dib took his time putting things back into his bag. Despite how hot it was in the classroom, it was even hotter outside. He was not looking forward to the walk home and cursed himself silently for opting to take his driving classes next session.

"Hey Dib," he glanced up to see the teacher squinting at him tiredly. The boy sighed silently and walked over to her desk as the last few stragglers left the classroom.

"Ma'am?"

"Can you do me a favor tomorrow?" she asked, looking at the blinds. He frowned. Of course he'd get stuck with something like this. He couldn't really refuse, and he wouldn't anyway. It's not like he had anything better to do...Oh, wait.

"What is it?" he asked, and her eyes traveled back to him. She made a noise and slid off her desk.

"I can't trust anyone else to do this, they'd probably just fuck it up," she said and circled her desk, sitting in her chair and assuming a professional visage, "A new student came in today and registered, but he can't start until tomorrow. He was very _insistent_ about that," she made a face, and Dib could guess this student annoyed her somehow, "Anyway, I was told to find someone to show him around tomorrow morning. Can you do this for me? You'll miss your first hour if you drag it out, you know," she smiled conspiratorially and he smiled back. She was by far his favorite teacher.

"Yeah, sure," he said, slinging his bag over his shoulder as he spoke, "What do I do?"

"See me tomorrow morning to get a note," she picked up her own bag, sliding a few notebooks into it and what looked like her lesson plan, "and then head to the office. When you get there show them the note and then just give the kid a tour. Take him to get his ID. Take your time. It's a big school."

She shrugged and grabbed her keys, grinning tiredly at him through her running make-up. He wondered briefly if she'd gotten much sleep the night before.

"Alright, sounds good," They started for the door but Dib stopped, back-tracking and grabbing a few tissues. He turned back to her inquisitive look and handed them over, "I'd stop by the bathroom first and, uh, fix your make-up."

She laughed, thanked him, and the two left the classroom, him trudging to the front doors and she to the woman's bathroom.

The sun was even worse outside. He walked through the crowds of people, feeling sick with what might have been heat stroke. Dib spotted a nice shady tree and crossed the grounds to it, plopping down beneath it, groaning. He hated this time of year. It was only spring, but it was as hot as summer. And summer was even worse than this. He never ventured outside during the summer unless it was at night. And even then the nights were boiling hot.

"I hate this time of year," he muttered quietly, and heard a snort near him. Starting, he glanced around, but saw no one near him. He assumed it was just his imagination and leaned back once more, watching some kids who were walking by in silence.

"I hate it too," said a nasal voice. Dib sat up straight, looking around wildly once again, and then-incredulously-up. There he spotted a boy perched in the tree, frowning unpleasantly down at him. The boy had on a bright red shirt that was striped thinly with black. His sleeves were pink and flared at the top in a weird, futuristic way. Or how future was thought to be in the seventies. The neck of the shirt was pink too, and jutted up to cover his neck and chin partially. His pants were black and form-fitting. He wore black boots and gloves that matched his raven hair, which fell haphazardly over his head. Piercing violet eyes stared (glared) down at Dib.

"How are you not cooking in those clothes?" Dib asked, shocked. This brought a smirk out of the other, though it didn't make him look any friendlier. He didn't answer, instead leaning back on the branch and studying Dib. The boy on the ground studied the one in the tree too, taking in his green skin and nose-less face. Spotting something off about his hands and realizing he only had three fingers on each. Dib gulped, his heart beating a little faster than before. The green-skinned boy's smile faded slowly as he eyed Dib, and he spoke after a moment.

"I don't think that's any of your business," Dib had nearly forgotten that he had asked a question, focused as he was at trying not to stare at the teenager's obvious disfigurements.

"Oh-oh..." he glanced away and back, also noting how very thin the other was. The shadows under his purple eyes. How very little of his skin he showed, as if careful to hide himself from the world. Even his hair covered most of his face. Dib imagined that if he saw the other walking from behind, he would think nothing of him, assuming the other's hands were safely tucked away in his pockets.

"I don't appreciate you staring at me either," the boy in the tree said, glancing away this time angrily. Dib caught himself and face-palmed.

"I'm-I'm sorry," he said, clearing his throat. For a moment he forgot that it was boiling outside and looked up again at the other boy, "I, uh, haven't seen you around school," he said. _I would have remembered_, he didn't say.

"I'm new. I was waiting to see what the creatures that infect this building look like before leaving. The days are long, but not as long as they should be, in my opinion," he scoffed, "I've been to "school" that runs for days at a time and is much harsher than this one. Both in teaching and in the conditions it is set in."

"Uh," Dib frowned up at the other, who was glaring off into space now. It looked like everything he saw displeased him. Dib wasn't really sure what to say to him after that, and decided to wing it with the first thing that popped into his head, "But you haven't even been here yet," he pointed out.

"I've done my research, human," he said, sneering down at Dib. Something clicked into place then and he blurted what he was thinking before he had a chance to stop and realize what he was saying.

"Are you an alien?" he exclaimed, and then turned bright pink. The other's eyes widened almost comically, and he simply stared at Dib for a moment, eyes wide and face blank. Dib's mouth was open, just hanging there in the silence. Nobody spoke for a long time, but the other's left hand twitched in the direction of his right wrist, "I'm so sorry!" Dib said loudly. If he were a child he wouldn't have been sorry. He probably would have been nothing but paranoid. He wasn't a kid anymore, though, and it wasn't good to go around shouting those types of things at people, "I didn't mean to... Please don't hold this against me... I have to go!"

He quickly gathered his bag and stood, walking away from the scene of yet another embarrassment swiftly. When would he stop making an ass out of himself?

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_A/N: Just an experiment, I guess. I don't really like how this turned out, but I'll see how it goes... I have the rest of this vaguely planned out. If this gets a positive reaction, I'll continue it. I'll also get to work on finishing that Bully fic sometime soon. Anyway, please review. _


	2. Chapter 2

_Sorry for the delay. Fanfiction hasn't exactly been my top priority, and won't be for a while if at all. ^-^ Anyway, here's the next chapter! I'm giving the teacher a name in this chapter because I like her character, and I'll probably use her again. Hope you enjoy!_  
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The morning was warm, not abnormally so but enough to draw almost every child in the vicinity's complaints. The sun, relentlessly shining down on everyone was indifferent to their complaints. It shone on, almost seeming to mock them with its insistence and inanimate indifference. But this is completely irrelevant to the plot.

Dib stood outside his math class, Ms. Pita's room, waiting for his teacher to arrive and give him the note she had for him. He should have expected her to get to school late, after all she was the least responsible teacher he knew of that still had a job teaching. She'd probably get there just as the bell rang for first hour and he would have to go to his first class instead of the office to let his teacher know he had to show around a student. Unless the secretary felt like calling his teacher for him. He doubted it, though. The staff at his school was rather notorious for being lazy and generally sucking at their jobs. Or at least managing to be just below average. Not like the principal cared anyway.

A few early birds wandered past him, headed to their respective locations. Someone said something about a snake in the science classroom getting out of its cage while there was a substitute, but Dib dismissed this as a rumor. Almost everyday the kids talked about that behemoth of a snake getting loose, and it never did. Who would be so stupid to leave that huge fucking snake's cage open? It was a wonder it was even allowed to be kept in the classroom! But, again, the principal had said himself that he thought it was cool and if the teacher could handle it the teacher could keep it. Stupidity ran rampant through this God-forsaken place.

"Dib!" he heard his Ms. Pita's voice and turned to his right, blinking in her direction. Today she had her hair up and was wearing no make-up, as if she'd had some sense not to wear any today after what happened the day before, "Sorry you had to wait!"

"It's fine," Dib pushed off the wall and stepped away from the door as she let her bag fall heavily to the floor and crouched to set down a box of doughnuts and a container of coffee. He picked up her bag for her after she got the door unlocked and she smiled gratefully at him.

"Thanks," she held the door for him, "It was a nightmare carrying that through the front door. Not everyone's as considerate as you!" she laughed and Dib smiled. He knew what she meant to say. _No one_ was as considerate as him-everyone had their own agenda to take care of and it didn't include helping the math teacher into the building. Or carry her things for her, for that matter. Dib set her bag on her desk and watched her set down the coffee and doughnuts next to it.

"Alright," she spoke more to herself than him and circled her desk, opening one of the drawers. She took out a pen and a bathroom pass and scribbled something on it. She added her illegible initials and then handed it to him, "Here's the note. He's already in there," She blew some air up at her bangs, which had fallen into her eyes, "The little asshole's criticizing everything he sets his eyes on. Sorry you're the one who has to deal with him," She sounded sincere and he had to laugh.

"I'm sure it isn't so bad," he responded, reading the note. It didn't say anything of importance, just that he was supposed to show someone named "_Zim Irked_" around and to excuse him from his first and possibly second hour, "Wow, what a last name," he muttered, and Ms. Pita laughed.

"Take it literally, please," she grabbed the box of doughnuts and her coffee, "Anyway, I have to lock the classroom up again so some little shit doesn't come in and steal anything, so you should get on your way. I wouldn't blame you if you punched the kid," she walked out of the room and he followed behind silently, waiting as she locked the door behind her.

They said their goodbyes and Dib headed to the main office. He assumed she was heading to the Library for the weekly Friday Morning Meeting. He imagined they didn't actually talk about much at those things. Maybe which kid they disliked the most or something. He didn't really care, particularly. Maybe they actually got shit done, he didn't know.

His gaze traveled back to the note as he walked, reading and re-reading the name. It sounded so unlikely that someone had such a weird last name. There were a lot of people in the world, though. He knew he shouldn't just assume things like that, but he couldn't help himself sometimes. He knew it was probably just paranoia, but he felt like this Zim Irked kid might be the one he had to show around-no, he was sure of it. The kid he'd seen yesterday and almost immediately insulted was the one he had to take on a tour of the school. Not only that, but by what Ms. Pita had said he was a pretty unpleasant kid and he probably already hated Dib. The boy sighed and slowed his pace down considerably, in no hurry to reach his destination. He almost hoped a bully would come along and stop him, but the path that he took was a rather uneventful one, unfortunately.

The front wall of the main office was a wall of large windows, completely transparent to anyone who looked through, but thick enough so that no one who was pissed enough could punch a hole in one. He wouldn't be surprised if they were bullet proof too. The door was also glass, but it was built sort of like one you'd see at a store, and had the same sensor in front of it that opened it when you stepped on it. Dib didn't immediately walk to the door, instead slowing to a stop a few feet away from the windows and looking inside at a particularly green teenager that looked very put out. He was apparently talking to the lady at the desk, shaking his fist a lot and gesturing with his other hand at the room in general. Just as he had yesterday, the teen looked like everything was a disappointment or not good enough for him, he made it painfully obvious that he disliked everything around him. Luckily he couldn't hear what the other was saying because the office was also sound proof.

Dib groaned but walked forward, entering the office. As soon as he did, the door made a light, almost inaudible sliding noise and the volume, like it had a dial, suddenly cranked all the way up for Dib as he entered to room and heard the green teenager's loud, nasal voice.

"...about the temperature? I can't be here in these conditions? What kind of filthy place is this that..."

"You here for him?" The secretary asked, gesturing to Zim and looking considerably drained. Dib hoped she hadn't eaten that morning and that she hadn't slept the night before. He hoped she was just feeling off today and that it wasn't Zim's fault she looked so tired.

"...and don't think I didn't see the menus for lunch! They're posted everywhere! What kind of slop..."

"Uh, " he paused, thinking. But as soon as he spoke, Zim whipped his head around and glared at him. The silence seemed rather abnormal and thick to Dib. And in the moment that Zim's purple eyes met his amber ones, Dib was absolutely sure of a few things. No, the secretary had probably NOT been tired when she had come in to work this morning. The green boy was certainly the cause of her fatigue, and he would probably do the same thing to anyone else he spent a prolonged amount of time with, including Dib. Zim really didn't like anything he looked at. He didn't seem to like the other kids, not the secretary, and from what his math teacher had said she hadn't exactly been his favorite person in the world either. But when Zim saw Dib, the boy was positive the green skinned teen absolutely loathed him.

"Yeah. I am," he muttered, lowering his eyes to the floor and wishing he had just stayed in bed that morning.

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_Whoo, chapter two!_

_Tell me what you think of it and I might update faster this time. I'm starting to get a concrete idea of how this story is going to turn out. I just need to write a good plot down on paper first before I do anything else. I'll probably do that today, I've got time. _

_Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Constructive criticism is appreciated and encouraged and reviews are much loved!  
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